Surf fishing on the Texas coast

Surf fishing means standing on the beach, casting past the breaking waves and letting a bait sit on the bottom. It needs no boat and no pier. TPWD says the surf provides excellent red drum fishing, and TexCast's surf casting card lists red and black drum, sharks, pompano and whiting among the fish that cruise the surf. This guide covers reading the beach, rigs and sinkers, the gear TPWD describes, and the rules. Where TPWD gives a number, it is marked as TPWD's; the rest is our own description of standard technique.

Reading the beach

A beach is not flat under the water. Waves break over sandbars, and between the bars are deeper channels called troughs or guts. Fish travel along the troughs, because the deeper water gives them cover and washes food loose. TPWD says that in the surf red drum tend to be found in the deeper cuts along the beaches. TexCast's "Where to cast in the surf" rig card says to start with the first trough, the nearest drop in depth, which it gives as usually 3 to 5 feet deep at high tide and 2 to 3 feet at low tide, and says more weight lets you cast over the first breakers to fish the second trough. Look for darker, deeper-looking water and breaks in the waves, then try the drawing.

An interactive drawing goes here in the app.

The gear TPWD describes

TPWD says surf and pier anglers prefer rods over 10 feet long, stiff enough to handle heavy terminal tackle, and reels big enough to hold several hundred yards of 25 to 40 pound line, with a good drag. A long rod helps your cast and keeps the line above the waves, and a sand spike holds the rod while you wait. Use salt-water gear and rinse it afterwards. See surf casting for the steps, and the where to cast card and sliding sinker rig. Tie on with an improved clinch or a Palomar.

Rigs, baits and sinkers

The part of the rig that matters most in the surf is the sinker. TPWD says a heavy grabbing sinker is needed to keep baits stationary on the surf bottom. Waves and current roll a plain weight along the bottom and drag your bait out of the trough. TPWD says the biggest red drum, the bull reds, are best caught with natural bait: fresh cut mullet, larger live mullet or blue crab, on single or double drop bottom rigs. For black drum, TPWD says use cut fish, squid or shrimp on the bottom and wait. For redfish on lures, TPWD names heavier spoons and slow-sinking fish-shaped plugs. Change the target and the surf to see what changes.

An interactive drawing goes here in the app.

When the big fish come

TPWD says that in the fall, especially in stormy weather, large adult red drum move to the gulf beaches, possibly to spawn, where they can be caught from piers and by surf anglers. It calls this the "bull redfish run." Black drum have their own run: TPWD says large schools gather around some Gulf jetties and in deeper channels in February and March. Those fish are big and strong, so match the outfit above, and see handling a fish well if you plan to let one go. Sharks are caught from the surf too. TPWD says many sharks have minimum size limits and some may not be kept at any size, that you should leave them in the water when you can, and that lifting one by the tail can tear its organs.

Rules (TPWD)

You need a fishing license with a saltwater endorsement, with one exception: TPWD says in a coastal Texas state park you can fish free of a license, including wading in the surf along the park shore, though park fees and bag and length limits still apply. TPWD's drum limits, valid September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027, say red drum have a daily bag of 3 with a 20-inch minimum and a 28-inch maximum, and black drum a daily bag of 5 with a 14-inch minimum and a 30-inch maximum, with one black drum over 52 inches allowed per day. It also describes a Red Drum Tag and a Bonus Red Drum Tag for one fish each over the 28-inch maximum. Limits change from year to year, so check TPWD for the season you are fishing. See the license drawing.

Mind the water

This summarizes what TPWD says and is not legal advice. TPWD and the Texas statutes and rules decide what applies to you.

For more reading, we suggest these articles

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